Purpose

To consolidate, disseminate, and gather information concerning the 710 expansion into our San Rafael neighborhood and into our surrounding neighborhoods. If you have an item that you would like posted on this blog, please e-mail the item to Peggy Drouet at pdrouet@earthlink.net

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Fight For LA’s Expo Line Is NOT Over!

ALPERN AT LARGE-History came full circle at
Hamilton High School last Thursday night, as a new generation of
transportation-minded volunteers met to discuss the benefits and
shortcomings of the Expo Line, and of the challenges facing LA City
transportation policy. Perhaps I was the only one present who was part
of the grassroots group known as Friends4Expo that used to meet at the
Hamilton High Library, but it was still history, nevertheless.

Most were from the neighborhood councils of South Robertson, Venice,
Palms and Mar Vista, and most had a more nuanced perspective towards
bus, rail, bicycle, automobile and pedestrian transportation issues than
that which existed at Friends4Expo.

More on that "nuanced" thing below, but first a mention of the
history of when Friends4Expo met quarterly at the Hamilton High Library
to figure out strategy to do the outreach and persuasion necessary for
an Expo Line to be approved by the Metro Board. At that time, transit
and bikeways and walkable streets were considered silly and/or
irrelevant to daily existence by most Angelenos (or at least those who
were politically empowered).

After all, a mere decade ago there was little to no consideration of
rail, bus or bicycle transit, or of walkable streets--Supervisors
Yaroslavsky and Burke, and Mayor Riordan, kept telling us that we were
out of touch, and that we should just settle for an insufficient Busway
and not hold out for an Expo Light Rail Line. After all, there was no
money for an Expo Line (even if the Federal Transit Administration in
Washington did like the idea).

Amazing what a decade of demographic, political and traffic changes can do.

With older Angelenos either departing the City or departing this
existence, and with an influx of younger Angelenos and/or older
Angelenos "converted" to the idea of transit, the issues to be
confronted now aren't IF there will be an Expo Line but what TYPE of
Expo Line will we have to enjoy.

Traffic is worse but also less tolerated, and mobility is now equated
with quality of life. Bicycling is having its own renaissance, and the
notion that "no one walks in L.A." is rapidly becoming reflected of an
outdated song instead of an eternal truism.

Unfortunately, we now face an era where the Expo Line is only halfway
completed (Phase 1 to Culver City), and has to compete for funding with
cost overruns from its first phase and from the 405 freeway widening
project. Betterments to both Phase 1 and Phase 2, particularly around
key stations, are in order. In particular, Expo Line Phase 2 to Santa
Monica shouldn't be sacrificed for the 405 widening project.

The fact remains that if Phase 2 of the Expo Line is on schedule and
under budget, which is consistent with all reports to date, then that
money should stay with the line. The need for legal defense against a
neverending barrage of lawsuits, which began much earlier than anyone
expected during Phase 1 efforts, should be put to rest. The time is NOW
to spend on Expo Line betterments, and to improve the Expo Line
experience.

And "betterments" is no longer a term synonymous with "grade
separation". While many will and should continue to bemoan the lack of
foresight of the Westside and the Expo Construction Authority to arrive
at a consensus of elevating the line over Overland Avenue, that train
has left the station (pun intended). There will be no tunnels that the
experts and engineers do not approve, and there will certainly be an
Expo Line.

With the California Supreme Court having dismissed the legal
opposition to the Expo Line, it is "safe" for the Westside political
representation of the Expo Construction Authority (in particular,
Councilmembers Mike Bonin and Paul Koretz) to pursue the betterments
that are glaringly in order for the Expo Line to achieve maximal
capacity and access in the least amount of time.

For too long, those represented at last Thursday night's
meeting--South Robertson, Palms, Mar Vista and Venice--who fought
vigorously for the Expo Line have not received enough consideration for
betterments to allow them enhanced access to the line. It's been "all
about Dorsey High" and "all about Cheviot Hills and Rancho Park" because
of legal battles in the past--legal battles that are now OVER.

Yet will there now be any fiscal, planning and engineering benefits
for those communities who spent over a decade advocating for the Expo
Line? In particular, with the Expo Line parking lot in Culver City
being full by early to mid-morning, isn't it only fair for South
Robertson and the Westside to have an adjacent parking lot at or near
Robertson Blvd.?

Much of the focus for the Culver City parking lot and station (the
current western terminus of the Expo Line) has been Venice Blvd., but
what of the north-south feeder routes (in particularly, Robertson
Blvd.)? It has been noted that Robertson Blvd. is used by many to
access commercial centers outside of Los Angeles, but what of commercial
development within Los Angeles?

Regardless of which city an expanded or new parking lot would be in
at Culver City or in Los Angeles, it's FULL NOW and the line has only
just begun its operations. Some will go to the parking lot at the Expo
Line station at La Cienega, but it should be noted that many commuters
arrive either too early, or leave too late, to reliably, safely and
easily access connecting bus routes.

The Venice/Robertson station at Culver City is the key access point
to the Expo Line for those living in "the lower Westside", which
includes Del Rey, Westchester, the Marina, and even portions of Venice.
These regions will always have relatively poor and indirect access to
the Expo Line--and neither the Venice Rapid Bus Line nor parking on the
current and planned Expo Line is at all sufficient to take advantage of
this light rail line.

The Palms Neighborhood Council has also come out squarely in favor of
its own parking lot by its rail station for Phase 2, and yet has no
such lot planned. And it is doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure
out that the parking lot at the future Exposition/Sepulveda station will
prove woefully-insufficient (and it bears repeating that the supposedly
"transit-oriented" Casden Sepulveda development had NO further parking
dedicated to the Expo Line).

I mentioned before that this crowd was more "nuanced" towards
transportation than the last generation of visionaries and citizen
planners who met at Hamilton High School ten years ago. They are more
"nuanced" in that they were pro-rail, pro-bus, pro-bicycle and yet were
also pro-car and pro-parking.

Their neighborhoods fought for in the past, and want better access
and connectivity now, to/from the Expo Line. That means parking,
bicycle lots and rental/sharing programs and a highlighted, promoted
Venice Blvd. Rapid Bus Line (particularly championed in the past by the
Palms NC as "Expo to the Beach") with its own series of first-rate bus
shelters and other amenities, and better bus service and shelters on
Robertson Blvd.

They also were very unhappy at how the bicycle/automobile balance was
too shifted in favor of bicyclists at the expense of motorists, and
concerns about mobility and safety of all parties were repeatedly
expressed. The need for bicycle paths and routes to be on residential
streets adjacent to (and safer than) major thoroughfares appeared to
enjoy considerable favor to a group that was favorable to bicyclists but
didn't want to "sock it" to motorists and hurt both groups of
commuters.

Sidewalk repairs and ficus tree replacements, and a final resolution
to the long-sought and oft-discussed Metro Rail to LAX connection, were
also high on the agenda. Ditto for FINALLY asking developers to pay for
their fair share of transportation mitigations for their
projects...including parking and bus shelters.

The past generation of Expo Line supporters finally won the day
because they were FOR something, and it's hoped that Mike Bonin, Paul
Koretz and the rest of the Expo Line Authority can now safely and
confidently also be FOR something.

This new generation of transportation advocates, who entirely favor
the Expo Line, are also FOR something, and they deserve political
representation and support just as did the last generation.

Work on the Expo Line is NOT done, it's NOT time to move on and wrap
it up Expo Line planning, funding and construction, and with the legal
expenses and hurdles over for the Authority it's time for it and Metro
to create the first-rate Expo Line that we always wanted, and still do
want, it to be.